Our network of active semiconductor and AI engineers knows exactly what skills matter and who has them. They work behind the scenes. Their insight drives every placement.
Semiconductor and AI hardware is too specialized for the standard recruiting playbook. We built something different.
They match keywords. They cannot tell you why ALD beats CVD for a specific application, or what separates a strong process integration engineer from an average one. The difference matters.
Without real technical judgment behind the search, hiring managers spend hours filtering irrelevant profiles. The best candidates get lost in the noise and move on.
Senior semiconductor and AI hardware engineers are employed, busy, and selective. They respond to credible outreach from people who understand their work. Not cold messages from generalists.
Active engineers in semiconductor and AI hardware advise every search we run. They stay behind the scenes. Their technical judgment is what separates a Phonon placement from every other recruiter in the market.
Four steps from introduction to placement. No upfront cost, no exclusivity required.
Our network of active industry engineers helps us understand the real technical requirements behind every search. Not just the job description. What actually makes someone exceptional in this specific role at this specific company.
EXPERT NETWORKWe source from our network of semiconductor process engineers, device physicists, epitaxy specialists, AI hardware architects, and chip designers. People who are employed, not actively looking, but open to the right conversation.
PASSIVE TALENTCandidates are screened against what our industry advisors tell us actually matters. Technical depth verified. Career goals understood. You only spend time on people who are genuinely qualified and genuinely interested.
TECHNICAL SCREENINGWe invoice only when your candidate accepts an offer. No retainer, no exclusivity clause, no upfront cost. 15% of first-year base salary, paid on successful hire.
CONTINGENCY ONLYWe work exclusively in semiconductor process, AI hardware, and technical data analytics. That focus is the product.
CVD, ALD, PVD, MOCVD, MBE. From R&D to high-volume manufacturing. Oxide, nitride, metal, and III-V materials.
Dry etch, wet etch, CMP. Advanced node process integration and yield engineering roles.
CMOS, FinFET, GAA, power devices, III-V/SiC. Process integration engineers and device physicists.
AI accelerator design, inference optimization, HBM and memory integration for ML workloads.
RTL design, physical design, DFT, timing closure. From startups to hyperscale AI infrastructure.
Principal engineers, directors of process engineering, VP-level technical roles at fabs, IDMs, and fabless companies.
Yield engineers, process data scientists, and ML analysts embedded in semiconductor fabs and AI hardware teams. SPC, fault detection, wafer map analysis, and ML-driven process optimization.
Behind every Phonon search is a network of active semiconductor and AI hardware engineers who advise on what the role actually requires and who the right candidates actually are. They are not publicly affiliated with Phonon. That is by design.
Engineers who can't be seen looking. Companies who can't find what they need.
Senior engineers in fabs and AI hardware companies get irrelevant outreach every day from recruiters who don't know the field. We're different. Our network includes people who have done your job. We know what a good opportunity looks like for someone at your level.
Fabs, IDMs, AI chip startups. The talent you need is employed elsewhere and not reachable through standard channels. We find them, screen them with real technical judgment, and bring them to you. No upfront cost.
Whether you're an engineer open to the right opportunity, or a company with a hard-to-fill role, the first conversation costs nothing.
joe@phonontalent.com